Senna grass has been spread in the treatment of constipation. It gently and gently cleanses the intestines, which is important for hemorrhoids and cracks. Before surgery on the gastrointestinal tract and after surgery, or if a colonoscopy procedure is to be performed, some doctors recommend drinking senna herb extracts. Instructions for use of the tool will be discussed below. It is not recommended to drink it without consulting a doctor, as there are contraindications.
Plant description
Senna of Alexandria, or African cassia (Holly), belongs to the shrubs and belongs to the legume family. In height can reach 1 meter. It has a rod, slightly branched root, deep in the ground. The stem of the plant is straight, branched. On it are paired leaves of an ovoid-acute form. The flowers have an irregular shape, yellow, collected in inflorescences. The fruit is a pod with several beans. Its length is 5.5 cm, width 2.5 cm. The ripe fruit has a dark brown hue.
The plant blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. Seeds ripen in September.
The plant is common in Africa. It occurs on the banks of the Nile, in the deserts and semi-deserts of Sudan. Senna grows on the Red Sea, in Somalia and in southern Arabia. Shrubs can be found in the Nubian desert. Cassia africa is cultivated in Egypt, Pakistan and India. On an industrial scale, it is grown in Azerbaijan and Asia. Here, shrubs are planted as an annual plant, since the senna does not withstand local winters.
Only leaves and very rarely fruits are harvested for treatment. Leaves are harvested when a shrub blooms or bears fruit. They are dried and then threshed. The chemical composition of senna varies depending on the phase of growth and development of the plant. The amount of anthraquinones in the leaves at the seedling phase is 2.8%, their number increases to 3.6% during budding. After cassia blooms, the number of anthraquinones is reduced to 2.3%. At this level, this indicator remains the entire growing season. The fruits of the plant are harvested after their ripening.
Chemical properties of grass
According to the instructions, Senna (grass) is recommended for problems with bowel movements. Another plant helps to lose weight and improves metabolism. This result is given by the substances that make up the cassia holly, this:
- antraglycosides are the most important component of the plant, it is they that stimulate intestinal motility;
- glycosides - have a cardiological effect;
- alkaloids - have a therapeutic effect on the body, dilate blood vessels, have antispasmodic properties;
- flavonoids - are plant antioxidants;
- amino acids - participate in protein metabolism, are important for tissue growth and development;
- natural resins - have bactericidal properties, inhibit pathogenic microorganisms;
- polysaccharides - remove toxins, provide transport of nutrients to the cells.
These and other substances that make up the senna irritate the intestinal mucosa, improve the motility of this organ and contribute to better digestion of food.
Beneficial features
According to the pharmacy instructions, Senna recommends taking grass strictly according to indications. The effective effect of plants on the body is due to its properties. Among the properties possessed by African cassia, it is worth noting a strong laxative effect, which allows you to quickly cleanse the intestines of feces, toxins and toxins. The plant is characterized by a weak diuretic and choleretic property, has a secretory effect. It causes appetite and relieves the inflammatory process. Doctors recommend this herb for gastroenterological pathologies.
After cleansing the intestines of hay, the work of the whole body improves. Chronic fatigue passes, hair stops falling out, the skin transforms and becomes more elastic. Lipid deposits break down. The cardiovascular system improves. The menstrual cycle is stabilized.
Senna has shown its effectiveness in the treatment of skin diseases, depriving, psoriasis and candidiasis.
The soft action of the plant allows its use in pediatrics, for the treatment of children over six years old.
The action of the herb occurs after 8-12 hours, after taking a decoction or infusion.
Indications for use
Senna is an herb for constipation. The instruction recommends taking the plant as a laxative and cleansing product. Cassia is able to alleviate the condition with:
- atonic constipation, which is in a chronic stage of development;
- liver failure;
- helminth infection;
- pathology of the pancreas;
- dysbiosis;
- cracks in the anus;
- low tonus of the muscles of the large intestine;
- stabbing in the acute stage;
- accumulation of toxins in the body;
- obesity and overweight;
- hemorrhoids.
Senna grass is recommended for use by patients who have to undergo surgery on the digestive organs. The plant is indicated after surgery, in case of atonic symptoms.
Senna grass: contraindications
Instructions for use warns that the plant can not be consumed with hypersensitivity and the presence of intestinal obstruction. A ban on her admission is a strangulated hernia, abdominal pathologies that are in the acute stage of development. Contraindications to the use of herbs are bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract, cystitis, metrorrhagia, spastic constipation. Do not use if water-electrolyte metabolism is disturbed.
Senna grass is contraindicated (the instructions describe in detail situations in which African cassia is strictly prohibited) during pregnancy, during breastfeeding, and for patients under the age of six. With extreme caution, the plant is used for renal and liver failure, as well as after surgical abdominal operations.
Senna herb for constipation: instructions for use
As mentioned above, cassia and all drugs based on it are laxatives. They are recommended to be taken at night, as the effect of their use occurs after 8-10 hours. If during two days of treatment the emptying takes place daily, then the use of cassia is stopped. Therapy should not last more than two weeks.
Instructions for use of Senna grass for adults recommends drinking the plant in the form of a decoction, infusion or herbal tea. A broth of weak concentration is drunk in ½ cup, a strong infusion is consumed in a tablespoon. Drinks are drunk two hours before bedtime once a day.
To prepare the broth, take one tablespoon of senna in a glass of water. Insist on a water bath for up to 30 minutes. Wait for complete cooling, strain and consume overnight.
When preparing the infusion, two tablespoons of the herb is poured with a glass of boiling water. Insist six hours. Use a tablespoon no more than three times a day.
To eliminate constipation, cold tea from senna leaves is suitable. To prepare it, pour a teaspoon of grass with a glass of cold water. Insist a day, then filter and drink. This way of using senna received a lot of good reviews and avoided spasms and pains. This drink is drunk one glass a day before bedtime.
Side effects
Side effects can occur with improper use of senna grass. The instruction warns in detail about this. Among the negative consequences, patients note pain and cramping in the abdomen, colic and digestive upset. Some patients experienced nausea and vomiting, as well as bloating and dizziness. If the herb is not taken correctly, arrhythmia and cramps of the lower extremities can occur. In rare cases, hay is disturbed by confusion and staining of urine in a brown tint is observed.
With prolonged use of grass:
- leaching of electrolytes may occur, resulting in a significant loss of potassium;
- there is a risk of damage to the walls of the intestine;
- there is a likelihood of addiction, which will cause a narrowing of the lumen of the large intestine and provoke problems with peristalsis, since the activity of the gastrointestinal tract is constantly stimulated.
With atonic constipation, so that the “lazy intestine” syndrome does not occur, doctors and patients are advised to use various laxatives. They recommend starting with the most gentle means.
Weight loss
The senna herb is recommended for use not only for constipation, but also for weight loss. The plant itself has little effect on lipid metabolism. Weight loss is due to cleansing the intestines and removing excess fluid from the body. To achieve a significant result, one senna is not enough. To take it, you need to add the correct diet and physical activity.
For weight loss, a tablespoon of cassia is poured with a glass of boiling water. Insist about four hours. Filter and drink at night.
This drink can be replaced with another means for weight loss. It consists of the following ingredients:
- raisins - about 100 g;
- figs - not more than 200 g;
- dried apricots - in an amount of 400 g;
- syrup from rose hips - 100 ml;
- Senna grass - in the amount of 50 g.
All ingredients, except rosehip syrup, are thoroughly mixed together and ground in a blender. Then syrup is added. The mixture is taken twice a day, morning and evening.
There is another option for using senna for weight loss. It acts in a similar way. To prepare it, take a glass of raisins and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. In a hot broth put 25 g of dry senna. The mixture is put on low heat and incubated for about five minutes. The resulting drink is drunk on a tablespoon before bedtime.
Senna for children
Senna, according to the instructions, is allowed to use for children from six years old. But since the plant contains a large number of resins that cause spasmodic pains, a milder and more gentle laxative should be chosen for children. It is necessary to introduce as much liquid, prunes, dried apricots and fresh apples into the child’s diet as possible.
Senna can be prescribed to the child once and only for strict indications. For example, in the treatment of worms.
To prepare a decoction of senna for a child, take a teaspoon of grass and pour a glass of cold water. Insist a day. Use before bedtime.
Treatment Reviews
Reviews on senna grass (the instruction recommends consulting a doctor before using this plant inside) are positive. Many people were satisfied with the result. According to them, if you drink senna before bedtime, then in the morning there will be a result. They advise drinking herbal remedy on a day off, as the relaxation can be strong and you will have to visit the toilet room throughout the day. Consumers say that Senna not only establishes a chair, but also contributes to the process of losing weight and cleanses the body well. In two weeks you can lose up to 5 kg.
The use of senna has its negative sides. After consuming cassia, many develop colic, pain, and pain in the abdomen, which disappear after visiting the toilet. Among the minuses are prolonged diarrhea, an unpleasant color and the smell of feces, addiction.
To avoid side effects, senna should be drunk carefully, in compliance with the dosage and a short period.
Pharmaceutical medicines with hay
Senna grass gives a good result, but if you do not want to mess with its preparation, then you can use pills created on the basis of African cassia, among them:
- Senade
- Senadexin;
- “Sennol” contains not only senna, but also black cumin, honey and olive oil;
- Regulax.
These tablets are allowed to drink for children from six years old at 2 units per day. The dosage for an adult is 4 tablets per day. The course of treatment is 1 week.
While taking laxatives, you should drink plenty of water and eat enough fiber. If side effects occur, the administration of a laxative preparation should be discontinued.